Pipe gauge



p 1961 I J. D. SNYDER 3,000,102

PIPE GAUGE Filed Aug. 26, 1958 Fig. l9

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BY @waaifia WWW Mz w United States Patent 3,000,102 PIPE GAUGE Jack D. Snyder, 1506 Rosedale Ave., Houston, Tex. Filed Aug. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 757,372 4 'Claims. (Cl. 33-143) This invention relates generally to measuring devices and pertains more particularly to a gauge for determining the nominal sizes of standard, extra strong, double extra strong and other types of pipe by a direct measurement on the Outside diameter thereof. This is a continuationin-part of my co-pending application, Serial No. 642,454, filed February 26, 1957, for Pipe Gauge, now abandoned.

It is of primary concern in connection with this invention to provide a pipe gauge of the character described above which is of extremely economical construction and yet which, at the same time, is completely accurate and reliable.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pipe gauge constructed of simply two parts, one of which is of L-shaped configuration, the short leg of which is a fixed jaw and the long leg of which is a carrier or bar upon which the second piece, a movable jaw is slidably mounted. The movable jaw is so formed as to provide a series of offset fingers for embracing and guiding the same along the bar of the fixed jaw member.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an economical construction of pipe gauge wherein the movable jaw thereof as well as the fixed jaw and carrier bar integral therewith are formed concurrently by molding, die casting or stamping, the movable jaw being so formed during its fabrication as to be readily accommodated for movement and guided relationship on the carrier bar for movement toward and away from the fixed bar integral therewith.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view showing the pipe gauge constructed in accordance with this invention and clearly illustrating the two piece construction thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the assembly shown in FIGURE. 1 illustrating the offset fingers of the movable jaw which embrace the carrier bar of the fixed jaw member;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along the plane of section line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 further showing details of the manner in which the movable jaw is interengaged with the fixed jaw member; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the movable jaw member.

As shown in the drawings, the gauge proper is formed from two parts indicated generally by the reference characters and 11. The portion 10 includes a carrier bar portion 12 and a fixed jaw member or portion 13 which is integral therewith, these two portions forming the shape of an L with the shorter leg presenting the fixed jaw 13 and the longer leg presenting the carrier bar 12. The fixed jaw 13 is provided with a straight edge 14 which is at right angles to the lower guiding edge 15 of the carrier bar which is in turn parallel to the upper guide edge 16 of the carrier bar.

The movable jaw member 11 includes a lower depending portion 17 having a straight edge 18 parallel with the straight edge 14 of the fixed jaw member 13 and the upper portion of the movable jaw is so deformed as to provide the three ofiset finger portions 19, 20 and 21. The two finger portions 19 and 21 are coplanar whereas the finger portion 20 is offset and parallel thereto, the distance of such ofiset-ting being equal to the thickness of the carrier bar 12 so that when the movable jaw is interengaged thereon in the manner shown most clearly in FIGURES 2 and 3, there will be a positive guiding action between the movable jaw and the carrier bar 12. In this respect, it is to be noted that the opposed inner faces of the three fingers 19, 20 and 21 snugly engage against the opposite side faces of the carrier bar 12 and that, by reason of the offsetting of the fingers 19, 20 and 21 relative to each other and outwardly on opposite sides of the plane of the lower or main body portion 17 of the movable jaw will present upper and lower surfaces 22 and 23 engaging with the upper and lower surfaces 16 and 15 of the guide bar or carrier bar 12. Thus, it will be readily appreciated that the offsetting of the fingers 19, 20 and 21 and the consequent provision of the opposed inner faces thereof and the upper and lower guiding edges 22 and 23 may be formed by a straight forward molding, casting or stamping operation for forming the entire movable jaw assembly 11. Likewise, the assembly may be performed as a single operation, and during this operation there is also formed thereon and provided at the free end portion 25 of the carrier bar a stop or abutment element 26 of a configuration shown most clearly in FIGURES 1 and 2 which, being only slightly raised from the main surface of the carrier bar 12 and being tapered in the manner shown will readily permit the insertion of the movable jaw member onto the carrier bar but will provide a relatively flat stop surface 27 against which the movable jaw member 11 will abut to prevent removal of the movable jaw from the carrier bar 12.

Additionally, by providing the three offset fingers as is shown, a natural window 28 is provided between the two fingers 19 and 21 so as to expose the indicia stamped or otherwise provided for on the face of the carrier bar shown in FIGURE 1 such that such calibrations may be easily read therethrough.

As a net result of the above, it will be readily appreciated that the cost of constructing such a pipe gauge is extremely low since the method for forming the two pieces required may be molding, casting or stamping op erations of extreme rapidity and economy and almost any material can be used dependent on the process selected. Therefore, the gauge, which is highly accurate and useful for the intended purposes, is also extremely economical of construction.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pipe gauge consisting of a pair of components, one of said components being of L-shaped configuration having a short leg presenting a fixed jaw and a long leg presenting a carrier bar at right angles thereto, the other component being a jaw generally rectangular in form having a lower portion opposed to said fixed jaw and having an upper portion slidably embracing said carrier bar, said upper portion having three fingers joined together :at the upper and lower ends by common integral fixation to the coplanar main body portion of the movable jaw, two of such fingers being coplanar and outwardly offset to one side of the main body of the movable jaw and disposed in spaced apart relation, the remaining finger being intermediate and immediately adjacent said two fingers and outwardly offset to the other side of the main body of the movable jaw, with the opposed inner surfaces of the three fingers spaced apart a distance corresponding to the thickness of said carrier bar to snugly embrace the same there between, and there being indicia on said carrier bar visible through the window between said two fingers as afforded by the material offset from therebetween to present said remaining finger, the opposite outward displacement of said fingers on opposite sides of said main body of the movable jaw presenting continuous planar upper and lower guide edges extending the full width and thickness of said movable jaw slidably engaging and guiding the opposite longitudinal side edges of said long leg in surfaceto-surface contacting relation therewith.

2. A pipe gauge consisting of a pair of parts, one of said parts being of L-shaped configuration having a short leg presenting a fixed jaw and a long leg presenting a carrier bar at right angles thereto, the other part being of generally rectangular form having a lower portion opposed to said fixed jaw and having an upper portion slidably embracing said carrier bar, said upper portion being provided with three fingers joined together at their upper and lower ends by common integral fixation to the coplanar main body portion of the movable jaw, two of such fingers being coplanar and outwardly offset to one side of the main body of the movable jaw and disposed in spaced apart relation, the remaining finger being immediately adjacent and intermediate said two fingers and outwardly offset to the other side of the main body of the movable jaw, with the opposed inner surfaces of the three fingers spaced apart a distance corresponding to the thickness of said carrier bar to snugly embrace the same therebetween, and there being indicia on said carrier bar visible through the window between said two fingers as afiorded by the material ofiset from therebetween to present said remaining finger, the opposite outward displacement of said fingers on opposite sides of said main body of the movable jaw presenting continuous planar upper and lower guide edges extending the full width and thickness of said movable jaw slidably engaging and guiding the opposite longitudinal side edges of said long leg in surfaceto-surface contacting relation therewith, said fingers each being ofiset laterally a distance equal to the thickness of said movable jaw.

3. A gauge for measuring'the distance between remote surfaces of an object comprising an elongated fiat carrier bar having a first work-engaging jaw on one end portion thereof, a second work-engaging jaw having a coplanar jaw portion opposed to said first work-engaging jaw and a body portion slidably embracing said carrier bar, said body portion having at least three fingers joined together at their opposite ends by a common integral fixation to the coplanar portion of the movable jaw, two of such fingers being coplanar and outwardly offset to one side of said body portion and disposed in spaced apart relation, the remaining finger being immediately adjacent and inter; mediate said two fingers and outwardly oifset to the other side of the body portion with the opposed innersurfaces of the three fingers spaced apart a distance corresponding to the thickness of said carrier bar to snugly 'embracethe same therebetween, the opposite outward displacement of said fingers on opposite sides of said main body of the movable jaw presenting continuous planar upper and lower guide edges extending the full Width and thickness of said movable jaw slidably engaging and guiding the opposite longitudinal side edges of said long leg in surfaceto-surface contacting relation therewith.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said fingers are each equally outwardly offset relative to said movable jaw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 260,893 Parke July 11, 1882 975,942 Flynn Nov. 15, 1910 2,246,088 Clementz June 17, 1941 2,305,376 Blum Dec. 15, 1942 2,373,338 :Rakauskas Apr. 10, 1945 

